The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-06-02
KENTUCKY IN 1881.
The COuarge and Wisdom Of the Union
Men in the Legislature.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Col. III. H.
DuAield, in his Grafton at Washington city
lately on the history of the Army of the Cum
berland, inadvertently, am certain, does great
injustice to the Union men of the Legislature
OF 1850 at the called sessions in 1861. Hesays,
q Like grand vision it passes before US, from
the little band of 1000 loyal Kcntuckians-all
honor to them, and God bless them whom
that immortal patriot Rousseau gathered about
him, and when driven from the borders Of their
State by its declaration Of armed neutrality,
led across the Ohio to Camp Joe Holt" We
thank Col. Dufiield for his compliment to the
loyal Kentuekians and to Gen. Rousseau. We
heartily say amen to every word.
Rousseau was never driven across the Ohio
by any such declaration of the State. He went
freely of his own accord to prevent, I presume,
undue excitement, not from the loyal men. but
from the Seces5iOni5ts in our midst. Secondly
Kentucky never occupied the position Of armed
neutrality. That was the position of the Seces-
sionist5, and WAS voted down by the Union
men Of the Legislature in May, 1861, by ma
jority Of 4S to AZ. They sustained a media
torial neutrality By vote of 45 to A. At
least this is the vote Of the Representative
Chamber Rousseau was in the Senate Of that
Legislature. To understand the true position
Of that Legislature you must understand its
difficulties. The Union men in the House had
bare majority of one, and this by the aid Of
two Breckenridge men, who, in the interest Of
country, kicked party to the dogs. We had 43
to ~. The Senate, by the skin of its teeth,
had Union majority also by the patriotism
of two Breckinridge men.
Now, if these two majorities had been solid
for coercion, it would have been easy work to
have come out boldly and openly for the sup
port Of the Government. But there was no
time if we had taken that position but what
we would have lost six or eight men in The
House, which would have left US in a minority
of from ii to 10. The same way in the Senate.
The very moment those men had been driven
from Us by attempting to pass resolutions for
coercion, they would have jumped into the
secession ranks, and would have passed
an ordinance of secession. Then the Gov
ernor and both Houses would have been
against the minority of Union men. We
would have been utterly powerless, and
with the aid Of the State Guard under Buck
ner,. the State would have been forced out in
defiance Of the people, who were largely in
favor Of the Union. Then the problem was
presented to the Union men, What policy can
We pursue, right in itself, and yet viii secure
these weak-kneed men. They hit upon the
position of mediator. Afterward, in the great
struggle which lasted from January to nearly
June, it was twisted to "MediatOrial Neu-
trality" At first, in January, when there had
been no fighting, the position was patriotic, wise
and right, because the State did not want TO
fight either the men Of the North or South,
and wanted to heal the breach between the
Government and the seeding States and re-
store the Union. Certainly that was patriotic
and WISE and no just man could find fault After
ward, when Fort Sumter was fired on, the true
Union men OF the Legislature would have been
proud TO stand by the Government, but that
was impossible without losing their meager
majority and having the State forced out
against their will and the will of the people,
who were unarmed and utterly helpless. /
think We wisely and patriOtically refused to take
q position that we could not maintain and
would have been disastrous in the extreme to
the Union cause, and would have produced
hell on earth in Kentucky without one single
redeeming benefit. We maintained our ma
jOrity of one, elected Union Commissioners
and COngressnlen, all but one by great majOrities.
This was the beneficial effect of mediation.
We kept, as / say, our MAJ jority, and handed the
question over To the people, VINO elected 20
Union men tO2f Secessi0nists, and, Ibelieve, II
majority in the Senate. These men, when the
proper time came for action, raised $4,000
splendid troops to do battle for the Union. The
other course would have jeopardized every
thing and lost the State to the Union.
The mediat0rial position saved our majority
and handed it over to the people, who kept
the State securely in the Union. Gen. sherman
by assault failed to take kenesaw Mountain with
great loss, and by flank movement next day he
succeeded in turning the position. Which was the
best? Certainly the tanking movement. So the
wisest, most patriotic, and only course was, by
a mediatorial policy to make flank movement
and save the State-whieh was the crowning and
only object OF the 40 to Al of the 45 men who
composed che Union majOrity-tO the Union.
Certainly, then, We deserve the thanks of every
Union man in the country, and not the OblOquy
of being in favor of armed neutrality, which was
the position OF the enemies of the Union, and
which we voted down. Let us look at this
thing in a military view. Suppose. for argu-
ment's sake, that the Union men had stood by
coercion. They would have lost the State, just
as Virginia and Tennessee had been lost. The
Ohio River would have been the border line.
FOrtihcatiOns would, like Vieksburg. have been
erected from the Big Sandy to the Mississippi.
Fort Donelson and Fort Henry would have
been erected at the mOuth-instead of where
they were-Of the Tennessee and Cumberland
Rivers, Mason and DixOn's line would have
become the border, and it would have been far
more difficult to have prevented foreign in
think any military man can see that the pres
ervation of the Union would have been far
more difficult problem than with the State in
the Union, as she was kept by the patriotism
and wisdom of the great mass of the Union
majority in the Legislature of 1859 at the
called sessions of 1861. Our hearts went OUT
with GOdspeed to Rousseau when he crossed
the Ohio to raise his troops. They went out to
him when he crossed back to drive Buckner
away from Louisville. No one can praise him
more than /, but / can say with all sruth that
a majority of the Union men who were in the
called sessions of 1o0l were as patriotic, wise,
and devoted to country as much as any men
could be. They were willing to give up life,
liberty and property for the preservation OF
this great country, and we ask the Union men
of the North, before they make erroneous
statements, to study the truth of history and
do full justice to the loyal men of the called
sessions Of 1861, which they so richly deserve.
Whitaker, Penebaker and others, including
myself, of that Legislature raised regiments
and went forth To battle for our country and
its life. Though only q Colonel, l had the
honor for some time to command the 2d, oth,
18th and Goth Mich. and 10Th n. Y. COR High
land regiment), with three Kentucky cavalry
regiments / merely mention this to show
that was not stay ay-at-home patriot, though
many Of those did great service.-RICHARD Il.
JACOB, Westport Ky.